It is a night of anticipation. Glasgow's best-kept secret playing Blitzkrieg Bop, a club night at the Arches, with a DJ set from Ladytron? Hey, ho, let's go.
Getting in early turns out to be a dud move, as it takes an hour or so for the night to get going, with
Young Americans being the only bright point in a bout of uninspired DJing. We want Hoboken.
Support act Findo Gask eventually take the stage, all bright faces and cheeky haircuts. Their song is actually pretty good; it's a pity that they haven't more than one. What they do have is an excellent drummer, underscoring their mournful electro-tainted post-rock to the point where, for a couple of blissful moments, you could close your eyes and be fooled into thinking you're standing in front of A Silver Mount Zion. Sadly, there simply aren't enough of these moments. We want Hoboken.
Findo Gask wrap up, and
Young Americans comes on again. No excuse, not even for Bowie. We want ... oh, here they come.
Hoboken ought to be a household name. If there were any justice, their faces would be gawping at you from magazine covers, their bodies bouncing around your television. As it is, despite a recent support slot with the Human League, the band remains relatively unknown outside of a small circle of fans who won't shut up about how great they are. Prepare to join this circle.
Opening up with
The Champ is a bit of a gamble, and it pays off magnificently. A slow, bittersweet, piano-led number, unabashedly moving and downright beautiful, it's a splendid showcase for singer Jonathan Carr's sublime croon. It's followed by
Crazy Glue, a deliciously energetic synth-powered stompalong. Imagine someone plucked all the good bits from 80s synthpop and gave them an electronic beating. If you took the jaunty pomp of the Pet Shop Boys and threw it against the sheer tuneful musical genius that Depeche Mode occasionally spat out, you'd be treading on Hoboken's toes.
It's strange to see such confident, accomplished musicians slumming it in tiny venues like the Arches and the 'Note, when they ought to be selling out, oh, Glasgow city centre. The performance probably benefits from this kind of intimate setting, but it would be nice to see the band get the recognition they so blatantly deserve.
Vainglorious is another stompy bundle of electronic adrenaline. It's followed by
Beauty Queen, highlight of the set, the night, my week, and Hoboken's output to date. Their sole flirtation with the charts (it missed a place in the top 40 through idiocy on the part of the record-buying public),
Beauty Queen is an outstanding tune, bookended by melancholy piano melody, driven by a powerful, pulsing dance beat and complimented by some of the loveliest vocal work you're likely to hear. If you're not sold on this one, there's no hope for you. Die in a fire.
All too soon, it's the end of the set, closer
Suicide Stretch far bouncier and more upbeat than the title might suggest. It's not nearly enough. We want Hoboken.
http://www.hoboken.co.uk
